EV owners now drive more miles annually than petrol car drivers, new data reveals.
Electric vehicle drivers are logging more miles each year than their petrol-powered counterparts, according to figures released by Solera Cap HPI.
The data, based on almost two million trade transactions, shows the average EV now covers 8,740 miles annually, compared to 8,296 miles for petrol vehicles.
This finding challenges the persistent myth that electric cars aren’t suitable for longer journeys and highlights the impact of improving charging infrastructure and vehicle technology.
In January 2015, the average EV traveled just 6,355 miles per year – 2,288 miles less than the typical petrol car. Ten years later, EVs have surpassed petrol vehicles by 444 miles annually.
The shift began in April 2023, when EVs first overtook petrol cars with an average of 7,895 miles – 358 more than petrol vehicles. Electric cars have maintained this lead every month since.
Solera Cap HPI experts attribute the increase in EV mileage to several factors:
- Rapidly improving battery technology
- Wider selection of electric vehicles
- Reduced range anxiety among drivers
- Better charger accessibility nationwide
Meanwhile, petrol car mileage has dropped 12% over the past decade. This decline stems from changing work patterns, rising fuel costs, and growing environmental awareness.
“Our data reveals that people in the UK are driving increasingly fewer miles now than they were 10 years ago. It also shows that EV motorists now travel further in their cars than drivers of petrol cars and have been doing so consistently for almost two years,” said Dylan Setterfield, Solera HPI’s head of forecast strategy.
Setterfield added that the data helps provide a complete picture of how car use is evolving alongside technological advances, fuel costs, and environmental concerns.
“The data indicates that the changes in driving habits are likely to be long-lasting, reflecting that people’s day-to-day lives now involve less driving than they used to,” he noted.
